Americans expect simple explanations about the human mind. God’s most complex creation. The No Child Left Behind federal law of 2001 aimed to improve student achievement in reading and math. Taxpayers have little to show for the trillions of dollars spent.

Institutions, like our schools, exist in an invisible world of ideas. Institutions start as missions, evolve into businesses and die as rackets.

I’ll use a school bus to show what’s happened to our school system. Money is represented by fuel. No matter how much is in the tank, if that bus is broken, it’s going nowhere.

The driver represents the school board. Without a map he doesn’t know where he’s going, where he came from or where he is. In 1910, Mark Twain America’s most brilliant observer’s said, “First God created idiots; that was for practice. Then he created school boards.”

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that school boards are the supreme boss of bosses.

Teachers are sitting in back of the bus next to the emergency exit. The Gambler’s Song, “You got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away and know when to run” is playing in their heads.

There’s been a 90% drop in teacher college attendance. Classroom teachers are scapegoats; with beginning teachers lasting less than 5 years.

School officials select who “they” consider “students of the month.” Everyone else is a left behind loser. Schools, as race to the top marathons, create feelings of worthlessness, depression, anxiety and suicide the second leading cause of children’s death.

Under the hood parts like engines and transmissions represent philosophical questions like: What does educated mean? How does the motor work? What do we need to learn? What is a true value education? Such questions go on and on.

Joseph Woitko

Beaver Meadows